Do you think that we live in a degenerative society? I’m not here to burst anyone’s bubble, but if you haven’t asked this of yourself anytime recently, you might have to admit a certain level of ignorance. It is a question that leads inward toward the most serious of issues reaching even below the mire surrounding our most perplexing ones:family, love, race, sex and religion. Down below these are our living roots, our uniqueness and individuality, and the voice we have to reflect that individuality to the world.

Clearly this society is, and has been, aiming at uniformity and conformity. America is based on its markets and what makes a good consumer is that he or she wants what everyone else wants. The market has exploited this concept to its fullest evidenced by Big Tobacco and its knowing distribution of an addictive product. Under the cloud of mass mercantilism we tend to get lost, and materialism becomes the essence of personal gratification.

The problem with this is clear. We are humans, flesh and blood, capable of survival with or without anything save food, water and shelter. Nothing else is necessary although an existence so basic would be no more than that of a farm animal. We look for other things to make it more interesting. We look for the reflection of our spirit in our families, lovers and friends. We look for variety in experience. Some of us do drugs and drink. Some dance. Some travel. Some people shop. But, all of us look for fulfillment in one way or the other.

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The market looks to make that fulfillment as convenient as possible. But, because we want what they have, they get to make the rules. It’s not easy to play by your own rules and conform to higher order at the same time. The funny thing is that when the inherent rules of society by which we must live are broken by those with power, we tend to not get involved.

It is the opposite end of the spectrum than in other societies. Social economies of scale get out of balance when the unopposed plurality of a common voice takes an issue to one side. Saddam Hussein is at it again, stirring unrest in the Middle East with his millions of subjects lending their voices to his will.

With all the power that resonates from the masses calling out justice with his name being Justice Supreme, he went and pinched our military backbone and the corporate money bone. He couldn’t do this alone. He doesn’t have to. Since he coerced and saddled the national voice, he is constantly encouraged by it.

In the voice there is power. That is how it works.

There is too much happening to us in this world today which describes our future. To not have a voice loud enough to be heard is as big a crime against ourselves than any crime that can be committed against us.

This is important because as the consumer-based principles of our society become terminal and eat us up like cancer, the only thing that we have left to propel our basic human freedoms will be our individuality.

I believe that I am a unique person, if not for anything else then because I say I am one.

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Let’s look at our lives here in Carbondale. We are all in the same boat sailing the same seas. When school gets rough for one of us it is usually about the same time that it gets rough for all of us. But, for the most part, as many of us consume time procrastinating and others have time because they already did their homework, we are free. We could smile at the sun all day long if we wanted to (not recommended).

Do things just because you can. Yell at the government. Tell them whatever you want. Tell them to think of us once in awhile. Yell at God while you’re at it. At least God will listen. Yell into thin air if you must. You don’t even have to yell. You could just talk. You could write. You could dress funny. You can do anything. You can do everything. Tell the world who you really are.